Whenever the lockout ends – whether it’s next week or next month – NBA teams know this much: They’re not going to have much time to prepare for their shortened season. That could give some teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls an advantage because their rosters are already largely built.

Other teams like the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics who either have a lot of holes to fill or hired a new coach – or both – could have more trouble.

Not every team is as fortunate as the Thunder, who already have 14 players under contract and just one free agent: guard Daequan Cook. Their coach (Scott Brooks) has been with them for more than two seasons, so they likely won’t have many system changes. When the players have gathered during the lockout for informal workouts, they ran the team’s plays. Whenever the season begins, they likely shouldn’t have a tough transition.